Yes, Australian diamonds, especially the famed pink diamonds from the Argyle mine, are exceptionally rare and highly valued, with their scarcity increasing significantly since the mine's closure in 2020, though Australia also produces other unique hues like champagne and cognac diamonds. While regular white diamonds are common, the coloured stones from Australia are unique, making them rare treasures.
The Investment Value of Australian Argyle Diamonds
If you're asking yourself, “are Argyle pink diamonds a good investment?” The short answer is yes. These diamonds aren't just beautiful, they're a financial investment.
Australian Diamonds™ – Rare, Natural and Responsibly Sourced
Only a select number of jewellers are authorised to offer genuine Australian Diamond jewellery, and Wallace Bishop is proud to be part of the Argyle Mine's official Chain of Custody platform.
Indubitably beautiful and increasingly rare, natural pink diamonds are among the most treasured types of diamond currently available. Unique in its colouring and composition, the Argyle pink diamond is exceedingly rare and takes its name from the now defunct Argyle mine in Western Australia.
Australia may not have the highest amount of gem-quality stones, however, the ones that are gem-quality are generally of fantastic quality, particularly, their pink diamonds.
A 1-carat diamond in Australia generally costs between A$2,000 and A$20,000+, but can range from under $1,100 for lower-grade stones to over $18,000 for high-quality, well-cut diamonds, with the price heavily influenced by the "4 Cs": Cut, Colour, Clarity, and Carat, plus the diamond's shape and if it's natural or lab-grown (lab-grown being much cheaper). For example, you might find a lower-clarity, M-color oval for around $1,000, while a D-color, VVS1 princess cut could be over $11,000.
Australia's national gemstone is the opal, a stone famous across the world for its brilliant colours.
I3 diamond clarity represents the lowest grade of diamond clarity available.
However, diamonds have more or less become a commodity – that is an Australian diamond merchant can buy the same stone as an American diamond merchant for the same price. Unlike other industries, there are no notable “bulk discounts” in the diamond industry, except for smaller diamonds (under 25pts).
No, a jeweler generally cannot tell if a diamond is lab-grown just by looking at it with the naked eye; they need specialized, lab-grade equipment like GIA iD100 or X-ray luminescence (XRL) testers to detect subtle differences in growth patterns, impurities, or fluorescence, as lab-grown diamonds share the same chemical and optical properties as natural diamonds. While some jewelers have machines to test, professional grading labs (like GIA) use advanced methods to identify them, often relying on laser inscriptions and grading reports for confirmation.
Here's a list of countries where you're most likely to find diamonds at lower prices:
Diamond Factory offers low prices in Australia primarily because they sell lab-grown diamonds, which are significantly cheaper than natural diamonds (often 30-70% less) due to easier production, and they use an efficient supply chain by acting as the manufacturer, cutting out middlemen. Their low cost comes from the inherent economics of lab-grown diamonds and direct sales, not that Australia itself has inherently cheap diamonds for all retailers, according to diamond industry analysis.
For a $5,000 budget, you can typically get a natural diamond ring with a center stone around 0.75 to 1.0 carat, depending heavily on the stone's quality (cut, color, clarity) and the setting's cost. You could also get a much larger, 3-4 carat lab-grown diamond, or a sizable stone of other gems like sapphires or moissanite, as these alternatives offer more carat weight for the same price.
A 2-carat diamond in Australia can cost anywhere from approximately $4,000 to over $70,000 AUD, with most natural stones in the $10,000 - $30,000+ range, depending heavily on the 4Cs (Cut, Color, Clarity, Carat) and if it's natural or lab-grown. Higher quality, rare diamonds (like D color, Flawless clarity) command much higher prices, while lab-grown options offer significantly lower price points, starting under $5,000 for a good quality stone.
Ten years ago, in 2003, a 2.00-carat Fancy Intense Yellow diamond with a VS+ clarity grade cost $5,000 per carat. Today, that same stones goes for $13,500 per carat.
As diamonds age from 100 years to 120 years old and we move further away from the 20th century, these old cuts will not only become more scarce but also more valuable. As an example, jewelry from the 17th century and older is extremely valuable and rare.
The 69-carat Taylor-Burton Diamond, famously owned by Elizabeth Taylor, is now part of the private collection of Lebanese jeweler Robert Mouawad, who purchased it in 1979 after Taylor sold it to fund a hospital in Botswana. Mouawad had the famous pear-shaped gem recut, reducing its weight to around 68 carats, and it remains in his family's extensive collection of rare jewels.
The Aquamarine name comes from the Latin word for seawater and is said to calm waves and keep sailors safe at sea. It is sometimes referred to as a poor man's diamond because of the pale color.
For $20,000, you can typically find a high-quality, eye-clean natural diamond around 1.5 to 2.5 carats, depending on the cut, color (like G-H), and clarity (VS1-SI1), with potential for larger stones (3+ carats) if opting for lab-grown diamonds or making bigger sacrifices on the other "Cs" (Cut, Color, Clarity) for a natural stone, according to sources from Brian Gavin Diamonds, Whiteflash, and Grahams Jewellers.
The Moussaieff Red Diamond
Weighing 5.11 carats, this is the largest known red diamond, making it exceptionally rare. Red is the rarest color classification for diamonds, and stones of this size and purity are virtually unheard of.
Yes, lab-grown diamonds are real diamonds, possessing the exact same chemical composition (pure carbon), physical properties, and optical characteristics as natural diamonds, just with a different origin story. The only real difference is that one is grown in a laboratory by mimicking Earth's conditions (HPHT or CVD), while the other is mined from the ground, making lab diamonds a more affordable and sustainable choice, though they often have lower resale value.
Australia's rarest natural phenomena
Rising dramatically from the Central Australian desert, the huge red rock of Uluṟu is one of Australia's most iconic attractions. Formerly known as Ayers Rock, Uluṟu is made of sandstone about half a billion years old. It stands 348 metres high and has a circumference of 9.4 km.
While amethysts are generally more affordable than diamonds, the worth of an amethyst can vary depending on factors such as size, color intensity, and clarity. So, are amethysts expensive? It depends on various factors, but generally speaking, they are more accessible to a wider range of consumers compared to diamonds.